


Avatar: Breath of the Wild

by ohnoitsher



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, F/M, Gen, Happy Ending, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, everyone has some sort of feelings of inadequacy, some characters are a little ooc, sorta - Freeform, talkative link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:07:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28864524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohnoitsher/pseuds/ohnoitsher
Summary: Gorons. Zoras. Ritos. Gerudos. Hylians. Long ago, the 5 regions lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Calamity Ganon attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop him, but when Hyrule needed it most, the Avatar vanished. A hundred years passed, and my friend and I discovered the princess’ knight, a Hylian named Link. And although his sword skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Link can save the world.Updates are whenever I get around to it. I'm still working on it, so some chapters might change in the future.
Relationships: Daruk & Link & Mipha & Revali & Urbosa (Legend of Zelda), Link & Prince Sidon, Link & Riju (Legend of Zelda), Link & Teba (Legend of Zelda), Link & Yunobo (Legend of Zelda), Riju & Prince Sidon & Teba & Yunobo, lots of friendships here, maybe Link/Zelda
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	1. The Author's Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a crossover between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The plot is more like ATLA, but the characters and certain plot points (memory loss, etc.) are from BOTW.

“Almost gotcha! Just a little closer. Psst! Yunobo! Watch this! This is how a professional catches a boar!”

“Uh-huh,” Yunobo answered with a tone of indifference in his voice.

Riju rolled her eyes. Clearly, Yunobo had no clue a master hunter such as herself was in his presence.

In truth, she had only hunted a couple times. The desert wasn’t exactly chock full of wild animals to hunt. But she wasn’t in the Gerudo desert anymore. This was the Forest of Spirits, a place filled with unsuspecting wild animals to kill. She crept silently near the boar and raised her hand to strike it with a lightning bolt.

Unbeknownst to her, Yunobo wandered off into the forest. To be honest, hunting wasn’t really his thing. But, he _was_ her friend, and he _did_ promise to help her catch something new for the Gerudo. Apparently, seal meat only tasted so good for so long. By now, they’ve already caught enough to feed the Gerudo _and_ the Yiga clan. Buliara and some assorted guards accompanied Riju as always. Right now, they stood guard of the fresh meat that they piled up. By all rights, they should be headed home, but _no_ , Riju just _had_ to kill one using her lightning powers. Something about needing the practice? He guessed she really needs it since she’s missed every single strike so far. Oh well. As long as he’s not anywhere near her strikes, he’s perfectly fine. Plus, he can always just bend a protective rock bubble in case of emergency.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a deer. It didn’t seem to hear him and kept munching on grass. He hesitated, trying to decide if he should kill it or not. He hesitated too long. The deer raised its head, looked Yunobo in the eye, and bolted.

“No, no, no! Come back here!” Yunobo yelled as he ran after it. The other animals in the vicinity scurried away as he ran after it. It seemed too far away for him to reach, but he remembered that he had the power of earthbending and Hylia on his side. He quickly created rock walls for the deer to run into. Finally, it crashed into one of them and fell to the ground in a heap.

“Wait ‘till I show Riju! She’ll be so proud of me!”

He slung the deer around his shoulders and made his way toward Riju.

“Hey, Riju, goro! You’ll never guess–”

“What?”

Riju looked at him, startled, and her lightning missed the boar by a mile. Instead, it hit a tree to the left of her.

“Yunobo! You made me miss!”

“I’m sorry, goro!”

“Lady Riju!”

Buliara tackled Riju, landing them both rolling on the ground and out of the falling tree’s way. The tree fell right next to the left of them with a thud.

“Lady Riju, are you alright?"

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”

Riju’s face of gratitude soon changed to anger as she wheeled onto Yunobo.

“Look what you did!”

Yunobo looked at her with confusion and a bit of anger. Riju wasn’t usually like this. She’s not one to get angry so quickly. He said defensively, “I said I was sorry, and I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Yeah, but you made me miss the boar! I was so close, too!”

“ _That’s_ what you’re angry about? The boar? You almost got seriously injured, goro!”

Riju huffed in annoyance.

“Why do you care anyway? You’ve missed every single shot. Can’t you just give up already?”

Riju squared her shoulders and firmly said, “A Gerudo never gives up, and I assumed a Goron doesn’t, either. But I guess I was wrong, huh?”

“No, _I_ don’t give up. I do know, however, when something is out of my powerhouse.”

“Are you saying that I’m weak?”

It seemed as if there was going to be a physical fight between the two. Fortunately, Buliara stepped in.

“Both of you, enough! Lady Riju, permission to speak freely?”

“Permission granted,” Riju muttered coldly.

“I am supposed to be your personal bodyguard and advisor, not your babysitter! Lady Riju, you are acting more like a child than a chief. And you,” she turned to face Yunobo, “should watch your mouth. She may be your friend, but she is the Chief of the Gerudo, and you would do well to remember that. Understood? _Both_ of you?”

“Understood,” the two said in unison with a tone that said their argument wasn’t over.

“Good. Now, Lady Riju, we should head back to the Gerudo desert. It’s getting late.”

“Fine.”

Riju stalked off. Before he could stop himself, Yunobo muttered, “If the shoe fits.”

She turned around and screamed, “That’s it!”

Fire burned from her hands, and a lightning strike hit somewhere up on a hill above them. Yunobo squeaked and built his protective cave. A big rumbling sound shook the earth.

“What in Hylia was that?” asked Buliara.

Yunobo loosened some of the dirt and peeked out. Riju was so distracted, she seemed to forget she was mad.

“This isn’t over,” Riju glared at Yunobo. He gulped.

“Now, come on. Let’s go see!” said Riju.

They ran up the hill to the noise. To their surprise, there was a hole in the hill where there had been none previously.

“Did _I_ do that?” Riju asked aloud.

The other two shrugged.

“Well, it seems to lead somewhere. We should investigate,” Riju said.

Buliara held her back. “Lady Riju, wait! Something’s in there.”

Buliara got her weapons out, watching for whatever it was to come out, ready for a battle. A figure emerged from the hole. It was a Hylian.

“Who goes there? State your name and business,” Buliara commanded.

The boy stared at them with a blank expression.

“I said, ‘State your name and business,’ voe.”

He blinked a couple of times before he answered, “Um, my name’s Link. I don’t have any business. At least, I’m not sure…”

“At ease, Buliara. He’s unarmed."

Riju walked up to the boy and said, “My name’s Makeela Riju, but everyone calls me Riju.”

“And my name’s Yunobo, but everyone calls me… Yunobo.”

Riju rolled her eyes and asked, “What are you doing here, Link?”

“I don’t know.”

“Start with what you do know.”

Link paused before answering, “I know my name’s Link, and this is Hyrule, and this is a Sheikah Slate, and–”

“A Sheikah Slate, you say? Let me see.”

Riju grabbed the slate out of his hands and looked at it.

“Buliara, is this what I think it is?”

She came over to see as Riju continued, “Is this the Sheikah Slate that Avatar Zelda owns?”

“It seems to be, but that’s impossible. There’s no way this Link voe could have gotten it.”

Riju mulled over Buliara’s words and paced around. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.

“I know! We should go straight to the source of all of this! If this truly is Sheikah technology, then the people in Kakariko Village should be able to clear this up.”

“But, Riju,” Yunobo spoke up, “shouldn’t we bring this meat back to Gerudo Town?”

“Good point. Buliara, you and the other guards bring the meat home. Yunobo and I are going on a road trip!”

“Now? But I’m hungry!” Yunobo complained.

“Oh, relax, you oversized rock,” Riju teased. “We can eat when we arrive at Kakariko Village.”

“Lady Riju, with all due respect, I think it would be wise if I went with you.”

“I can handle myself for a couple of days. I’ll be fine.”

“Of course, Lady Riju, but even so, I insist that I accompany you for good measure.”

Riju sighed but agreed to Buliara’s terms.

“Very well. Tell the other guards to bring the food home.”

While Yunobo complained that he had a perfectly good rock roast waiting for him at home, Buliara commanded the rest of the guards home with the meat. With that, the four set off for Kakariko Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was anyone gonna tell me that Riju's full name was Makeela Riju, or was I just supposed to find out on a mutual's post? Eh, no one uses her first name anyway it'll be fine...
> 
> Tell me if I made a typo or a grammatical error!


	2. Impa's Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get worse for Link...

They reached the small village at dusk. It was a quiet, little village, with only some quaint houses and cuccos. The villagers stared at them as they walked around asking the whereabouts of their leader. They probably weren’t expecting to see such strange visitors. Eventually, one told them where Lady Impa, their elder, lived. But, as soon as they reached the steps to her house, the guards stopped them.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

“Stand aside,” Buliara said. “This is Lady Riju, the Chief of the Gerudo. She requests an audience with Lady Impa now.”

The guards seemed to take slight offense with that. Riju could tell that Buliara was ready to brandish her scimitar at any sign of a scuffle. Before Buliara could let anything escalate further, Riju piped up, “We’re sorry! We were just looking for someone who could explain this. Link, show them the slate.”

Link held up the slate for them to see. The guards took one look, and they glanced at each other.

“A Sheikah Slate! Could it really be…”

“No way! It can’t be. Right?”

“So you’ve seen it before? It really is Sheikah technology?”

The guards stepped back to their positions.

“Forgive us for our rudeness. Lady Impa will be glad to see you,” one of the guards said.

They opened the doors. In the middle of the house was a little old lady who looked near death. She didn’t move.

“Is she…” Riju whispered more to herself. She didn't dare finish her sentence for fear that she was right.

“That’s a weird statue,” Yunobo said as he got close to it.

“I’m not a statue, boy,” the lady said.

“Aaah!”

Yunobo jumped back in fear and hid himself behind his hands. Riju rolled her eyes. She could hear Link snicker at Yunobo’s expense.

“Link? Is that you? It’s been quite a while, Link.”

Link stepped closer to her.

“I’m much, much older now, but you remember me, don’t you?”

Link just stared at her, like he did when Buliara asked for his name.

_Strange. It’s like he has amnesia_ , Riju thought to herself.

“What’s the matter? You’re looking at me like I’m a stranger to you.”

Impa seemed to deflate.

“It’s me, Impa. Surely you at least remember the name Impa?”

No response. Impa began talking more to herself.

“I see… so you _have_ lost your memory… Well, no matter. It actually might be a good thing that you don’t remember anything. So, who are your friends?”

“I am Lady Riju, Chief of the Gerudo, and this is my personal bodyguard, Buliara.”

“And I’m Yunobo!”

Impa nodded.

“Interesting. Tell me, what brought you here? Besides Link.”

Yunobo said, “Well, we were wondering about this slate…”

“The Sheikah Slate? You have the Sheikah Slate, Link?”

Link nodded and held it up to her.

Impa nodded with satisfaction. “I see, I see. So you must know what happened a hundred years ago.”

Link gave her a confused look as if to say, “A hundred years? How should I know?”

“You don’t know? Were you not able to open it? Let me see.”

Impa grabbed the Sheikah Slate and began searching for something.

“Everything seems perfectly fine. You’ve opened it, it’s working, and… oh, I see the problem. You’re missing the camera function.”

She handed him back the slate as she said, “Go to my sister, Purah. She’s nearby in Hateno Village. She’ll help you with it. Well, I suppose I’ll have to tell you myself about the war.”

She paused a moment.

“Link, a hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule fell in a war against a monstrous evil, Calamity Ganon. When you died, Avatar Zelda left me with some words she would like to tell you. However, if you would like to hear them, you must be prepared to sacrifice your life! But since you are without your memories, the shock of her words may be too much for you to handle. When you are ready, you may come back to listen.”

Link nodded and quickly left the room. The rest of them followed suit. From Riju’s perspective, it looked like Link was already in shock.

“Link, are you feeling alright?”

“I don’t know! Not really! I mean, I just woke up, and I’m learning that I was apparently asleep for a _hundred_ years! And there’s some girl named Avatar Zelda? And if I hear her words, I’m gonna die?!”

“Actually, Lady Impa said you _might_ die, so there’s some uncertainty there,” Yunobo clarified.

Riju glared at Yunobo with a look that said, “Not helping.” She then tried to console Link.

“Link, take your time. Come to terms with things. We’ll be with you each step of the way, alright?”

Link took a deep breath and nodded. Riju gave him an encouraging smile. She turned to face the other two and said, “It’s getting late. Perhaps we should spend the night here at the inn. It will give Link time to think things over. Plus, it’s much too late to head back home. Going back at this hour would be _seal_ -icide.”

Riju giggled at her own pun, while Buliara and Yunobo groaned. Link just looked confused.

* * *

The next morning, Link had made up his mind. He would listen to what Impa had to say. Whatever it was, it seemed important. But could he _really_ give up his life for someone he didn’t even know? Would he? Should he? He figured the best way to decide for sure was to find out the truth. Sure, he got some answers from the other three last night, about what a bender was, what an Avatar was, and a brief history of the war. But their explanations weren’t enough to satisfy him. He still had so many questions. Like, why was there a knight if the Avatar could protect themself? And why was he so important to this Avatar Zelda? The only way to get the full story was to talk to Impa.

It was early, much too early for any reasonable person to be awake. But he had a feeling Impa was up. He slipped out of bed and headed to Impa’s house. Sure enough, Impa was up and, well, not running, but you get the picture.

“So, you’ve come back. Are you ready for Avatar Zelda’s words? Be mindful, I cannot tell you if you are not ready. So, tell me, Link, are you ready to risk your life for the greater good?”

Link hesitated and quickly made a mental list of pros and cons. On the positive side, he might get something good out of this, and he might start remembering things. On the other hand, he could, you know, _die for an unknown cause and disappoint everyone_. But, on the other _other_ hand, he really wanted to know what happened.

Despite his doubts, Link nodded his head with confidence. Impa gave a loud bark of laughter as she said, “Amazing! You haven’t a single memory, but you still move forward with courage and justice. You haven’t changed a bit! Well, as they say, once a hero, always a hero.”

Impa shifted in her seat and continued, “Very well. It’s time to tell you what happened a hundred years ago.” She added quietly, “Perhaps this might jog your memory.”

"First, you should know who your enemy is: Calamity Ganon, an evil spirit who has lived throughout the ages, striving to cause chaos in Hyrule. Time and time again, Ganon has been defeated by the Avatar, the master of all four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. A hundred years ago, the princess of Hyrule, Zelda, was prophesied to be the Avatar. However, despite her rigorous training and mediation, she was unable to fully control her powers. Because of this fact and that she was still royalty, King Rhoam ordered you to be her personal knight to protect her. When Calamity Ganon attacked, Avatar Zelda was unprepared. Ganon destroyed the kingdom of Hyrule, and you nearly died protecting her. To thank you for your sacrifice, she sent you to the shrine of resurrection, where your injuries could fully heal. But the shrine of resurrection did not come without its consequences. The longer you spend healing, the more of your memory you lose. And since you were in there for a hundred years, well, you can guess the rest.”

Impa took a moment to let her words sink in. But before Link could say anything, she pressed forward.

“Before she left to fight off Ganon, she asked me to tell you, ‘Master the four elements.’”

Link tilted his head to the side.

“Frankly, I don’t understand it myself, either. I mean, there can only be one Avatar. But I sensed I did not know the whole story. Perhaps…” Impa trailed off and seemed to ponder something out loud. “I have always wondered if Avatar Zelda was really the Avatar. She never showed any signs of being able to bend all four elements, and she didn’t seem to have any connection to her past lives… Paya!”

“Coming, Grandmother!”

A young girl around her teens came running down the stairs. When she noticed Link, she stumbled over the last step.

“Oh! I-I didn’t know we had guests. My-my name is, um, Pa, uh, well, you see, uh, aagh! My name is Paya!”

Paya sighed in relief, glad that the ordeal was over with. She turned to Impa.

“Was there something you wanted, Grandmother?”

“Fetch me a bowl of water, please.”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

Paya ran outside. Soon, she came back in with the water.

“Here you go.”

“Fantastic. Place it in front of Link.”

Paya did as she was told.

“Now, Link,” Impa said, “kneel down. Feel the water. Connect with it.”

Link raised a skeptical eyebrow, but he did what she said.

“Close your eyes. Concentrate. Put your hand out, and try to bend the water.”

Link closed his eyes, and he focused all his concentration on the water. Could he really do it? He was pretty sure he was no bender, but then again, his memory wasn’t all intact. He felt a shift in his surroundings. He nervously opened his eyes. To his shock, a small bubble of water floated in the air.

“Incredible,” Impa exclaimed, “so you _are_ a bender! But why did you not tell anyone?”

How could he explain himself? It’s not like he could remember why he apparently hid his powers. Impa seemed to read his mind and answered her own question.

“Well, I suppose you might not be able to tell me now. But this is an incredible discovery! Avatar Zelda must have discovered your bending abilities…”

Impa began putting two and two together.

“… that must mean that you must have shown some sign of being the Avatar, which means… oh no. Link, your mission is direr than we all anticipated! If Avatar Zelda is in fact not the Avatar, then how is she fighting Ganon? What’s happening to her? She’s obviously not dead, but still… Link, you must master the four elements as quickly as you can. To do that, you need master benders to teach you.

Only you can save the world and Princess Zelda. If you do not succeed, Hyrule will certainly fall. You cannot turn back now! Seize your destiny!”

She quickly added, “And don’t forget to have Purah install the camera function in the Sheikah Slate.”

Link nodded and left the house, his emotions in a disastrous state. He began to wish he never woke up in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if I made a typo or a grammatical error! I hope you're liking the story so far.


	3. Purah's Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buliara deserves a little character development, as a treat.

The first thing Riju did when she woke up was look for Link. He wasn’t in his bed when she woke up. She figured he went exploring. It wasn’t until the late evening that Link approached her. She, Yunobo, and Buliara sat around the village square fire. A cucco clucked.

“So?” Riju asked. “Did you go see Impa?”

Link nodded solemnly.

“What did she say, goro?”

Link recounted the events that took place. Everyone was thoroughly mind-blown. No one said anything for a long time.

“... Wait, so _you’re_ the Avatar? Not Avatar-er-Princess Zelda?” Buliara asked for clarification.

Link shrugged.

“I guess. But I’ve only bent one element. Who knows?”

“Well, first things first, we should go visit this Purah lady," Riju said as she stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Buliara, let’s move!”

* * *

About halfway to Hateno Village, the dusk turned to night. Buliara suggested they set up camp near a fork in the road. The first to go to bed was Link. Buliara guessed he was exhausted, physically _and_ mentally. That kind of news could rock even the strongest Gerudo to their core.

She decided to turn in early as well. She hoped it might give Lady Riju and Yunobo time to make amends. They’ve been at odds since last afternoon, and the tension was driving her crazy.

She rolled over and pretended to go to sleep. Silence filled the air for a while. Finally, Yunobo spoke up.

“Hey, Riju?”

“What is it?”

There was a small pause before Yunobo continued, “I wanted to apologize about yesterday. You know, the whole boar-tree-incident? It wasn’t right of me to say any of that stuff.”

Buliara heard Lady Riju sigh a little.

“Thank you for your apology. I should apologize, too, for snapping at you. But the problem is, well, that you’re right. I mean, I’m not weak by any means, but I’m not as strong as a chief should be. A chief should be powerful, and she should always know the right thing to do and say, and I’m just not. At least, not like my mom... People wonder if I’m even fit to lead. They say I’m just a child. Maybe they’re right. I’m only twelve-years-old. What do I know about leading? And Buliara...”

Buliara froze. What did she do? She never said Lady Riju was just a child. Out loud. To her face. So what was the matter?

“… Well, Buliara has never _explicitly_ said it, but I know she’s thought the exact same thing as everyone else. It’s not in her words, but in her actions.”

Lady Riju stopped talking. Buliara waited in anticipation for her next words. She continued, “One day, I went out for a seal ride with Buliara for a quick desert patrol. A sand storm hit us unexpectedly. My seal got spooked, and it bucked me off. I guess I hit my head because I woke up in my bed.”

Buliara shuddered. She remembered that day all too clearly.

“She blamed herself for my accident, and now she stands guard all day and all night. I understand her concern, but sometimes, I wish she would let me do things on my own. It feels like she’s treating me like a child. Perhaps that’s her way of saying that I am…”

Lady Riju breathed out a puff of air.

“So that’s why I was so mad yesterday. I was mad at myself for not being good enough.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re enough, goro. You’re a great chief. You don’t need to be like your mom, as long as you do your best.”

“… Thanks, Yunobo. You’re a good friend.”

Buliara frowned. Lady Riju's voice indicated that she still wasn't convinced. A moment passed before Riju said, “I’m gonna go to bed.”

“Alright. Have a good night’s sleep!”

“See you in the morning.”

Buliara could hear Yunobo put out the fire. She lay awake for a little longer and stared off into the dark.

* * *

The next day, the four reached Hateno Village. Link decided he could talk to Purah by himself, so the rest of them had a free day. While Riju and Yunobo went shopping for supplies and souvenirs, Buliara took this opportunity to think about what Lady Riju said. While keeping an eye on her, of course. Personal guards don’t relax.

Was she too overbearing? No, of course not. Right? A guard must be careful not to let misfortune fall onto the chief. It’s only natural that she was protective. If anything happened, she would lose her honor. Not only that, but she would be a disgrace to the name of Gerudo guard.

But, then again, maybe she _was_ being too protective. Her feelings toward the chief might have gotten in the way. Lady Riju’s mother- _Hylia bless her soul_ -was Buliara’s best friend. When she died, it hit her hard. Harder than any of the other Gerudo, except for Lady Riju, of course. After all, it was Buliara who was assigned as her bodyguard. But how could she have protected the late chief from a sickness? It felt as if she needed to repay Lady Riju’s mother somehow for her failure as a guard. So, at her funeral, Buliara swore to Hylia that she would stop at nothing to protect Riju.

So here she stood at a crossroad. Should she step back, break her promise, and run the risk of Lady Riju getting seriously hurt? Or should she keep protecting Lady Riju the way she is now and inadvertently make her feel more insecure? Neither is exactly good, and a compromise seemed almost impossible. And even if she did find a compromise, how would she know when she overstepped the boundary between her duty and her worry?

There was no more time to think about it now. Link came back down from the observatory where Purah must have lived.

“Did you get the camera?” Lady Riju asked excitedly.

Link nodded and showed them several pictures.

“Purah said that Zelda took some pictures of places that were important to her. She said if I meditate at these places, I might be able to get my memories back. The rest of it will come back eventually.”

“Where should we begin?”

“I think I need to find my bending masters first. It seems like that’s more important than my memories.”

Yunobo looked as if he was deep in thought about something. He then exclaimed, “What if we did both at the same time, goro? We could look for your masters, and once you find them, you can search for these places and practice at the same time!”

“Brilliant idea, Yunobo! We’ll set off to–”

Buliara didn’t want Lady Riju to finish her sentence. If she got this silly notion in her head to go traveling the world, there would be no getting her to change her mind.

(As she scolded her, Buliara wondered if this was one of those times she was being overprotective.)

“Lady Riju, if I may speak so boldly, I insist that you return to Gerudo Town. Your people need you. They can’t have a substitute for a Chief for long.”

Lady Riju opened her mouth to argue. Buliara put on her best _don’t-you-dare-argue-young-lady_ look. Lady Riju closed her mouth.

“Very well. We will go back to Gerudo Town, and Link and Yunobo can start searching for a waterbending master.”

“Actually, I was kinda thinking we start in Goron City. You know, since it’s the first element in the order, and–”

“–and you’re homesick?” Lady Riju guessed in a teasing manner.

Yunobo nodded and hung his head in shame. Lady Riju threw her head back and laughed. At that moment, Buliara almost let Lady Riju stay with them.

Almost.

* * *

They decided to walk together up until the fork in the road that they camped at last night. There, they said their goodbyes, and Yunobo and Link set out to begin their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how Riju's mother died, and I don't think anyone else does either, so shush.
> 
> Tell me if I made a typo or a grammatical mistake!


	4. Riju's Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conflict ensues amidst Gerudo Town...

Riju definitely wasn’t pouting on the way home. That would be far too childish of her. She was merely reflecting on things with a sour face.

Okay, fine, yeah, she was pouting, but it was only because she really wanted to go with Link and Yunobo. It just wasn’t fair that they get to have all the fun while she did her royal duties. Sometimes, she wished she had never become chief in the first place. It was times like these when the loss of her mother affected her the deepest. She would know what to do. She always knew what to do.

When they reached Gerudo Town, people stared at them and whispered to each other, like she was a stranger in her own land. She didn’t like it one bit. One of the guards approached them hurriedly.

“Chief Riju! Inside, quickly.”

Riju furrowed her brow. Something wasn’t right. She could sense some oncoming disaster waiting for her in her palace.

She and Buliara quickly entered her home. Kneeling before her throne were two of the top Gerudo captains.

“Captains. What seems to be the trouble?” Riju asked suspiciously.

They seemed hesitant to speak. Finally, one spoke up.

“Your Highness… while you were gone, the Yiga clan snuck into Gerudo Town. We were unsuccessful in defeating them in time before they snuck away with the Thunder Helm.”

Riju gasped in horror.

"Has anyone gone to retrieve it?”

“We sent Barta, Lady Riju, to scout out the area, but she was kidnapped. We can’t afford to lose another guard to rescue her.”

Riju considered this flood of information. What should her next step be?

“Lady Riju, might I suggest we go on the offense right away?” Buliara suggested.

Riju shook her head.

“Not without knowing the layout of their hideout…”

“So what do you think we should do, Lady Riju?”

Riju weighed all her choices. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers.

“Ladies, we have the advantage on our side! The Avatar has returned!”

She quickly recapped her adventures to the captains. Needless to say, they were skeptical.

“So, you say this Hylian voe, Link, that you just met is the Avatar?”

“Exactly. I know it sounds crazy, believe me, but Link really is the one. If I get him to Gerudo Town, he could help us finally end this feud between us and the Yiga clan. And if that doesn’t work, he could simply destroy them. It’s a win-win!”

She murmured under her breath, "For us.”

Buliara countered, “Lady Riju, if I may be so bold to argue, the Avatar’s job is to prevent wars, not start them.”

“Only justice will bring peace. If we need to start a war to do so, so be it. Send one of the toughest guards to Goron City. If he’s not there, search the other regions. Follow his trail. Tell him we need his help as soon as possible.”

The captains gave each other uncertain looks, but they did as they were told. Once they were gone, Buliara turned to look at Riju.

“Are you entirely sure that’s such a good idea? The Avatar’s powers are not to be taken so lightly.”

“Don’t worry, Buliara. I'm not taking this lightly. I know what I’m doing.”

“Well, what if Link is too late, and their master unlocks the Thunder Helm’s secrets?”

Riju frowned with mild impatience.

“I know the risks, and I’m willing to take them. I trust my guards, and I trust Link. Do you?”

Buliara seemed taken aback by Riju's attitude.

“Of course, Lady Riju. I should have known better than to doubt your judgment.”

Riju settled into her throne and sighed. She silently prayed to Hylia that she was right in her decision. She couldn’t bear the thought of the Yiga clan getting a hold of the artifact’s powers or letting her people down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /Somebody's/ thinking like a certain avatar...
> 
> Tell me if I made a typo or a grammatical error.


End file.
